I want a tall hedge but keep it up to 5ft wide (once grown). I understand that for height I would need green giant arborvitae. However, they grow as wide as 15ft, whereas emerald green arborvitae would stay at 5ft wide.
Is there a way to keep the green giant 5ft wide or do I need to plant emerald green and give up the height?
There are other arborvitae cultivars than these two - one of which might be more suited, if you can answer the height question.
Prune / shear / "hedge trim" compulsively. That may require some serious equipment investment if you are aiming for a 50 foot tall hedge, and a 50 foot tall hedge will also fail on the next point at 5 feet wide.
And don't do it vertically. If you want the bottom to be heathy and full, the bottom is 5 feet wide and the top is significantly less, so the whole thing can get some sun.
A trapezoid with the narrower side on top, not a rectangle.
